RCIPS Becomes Hub for UKOT Ballistic Information Network; Forensic Equipment Funded by FCO

From RCIPS – Correction to below;

Anguilla is part of the network, although they weren’t at the conference yesterday.
Turks and Caicos is part of the network and was present yesterday

Yesterday, 19 April, a number of law enforcement representatives from across the UKOT (B.V.I., Montserrat, Bermuda, Anguilla and the Cayman Islands) convened in George Town to begin cooperation as an information network for ballistic information across the Caribbean to combat firearm and transnational crime. Thanks to a good foundation in organizational and staff capacity, the RCIPS was selected by the FCO last year from among law enforcement agencies on these territories to serve as the “hub” for the analysis of ballistic data gathered during criminal investigations.  Using new forensic ballistic equipment and recent training (pictures attached) provided by the FCO’s Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), staff with the RCIPS Scenes of Crime Office have now begun receiving and analysing this data from across the territories, and sharing and cross-referencing it with information provided by the INTERPOL Ballistic Information Network.  This new capacity is expected to generate significant investigative leads and help combat gun crime across the region.

“Essentially, this is about being able to better track the movement of firearms,” said Derek Byrne, Commissioner of Police, “which we know is a transnational criminal activity affecting all jurisdictions across the region.  Reducing firearms importation and gun crime is a major priority for the RCIPS, and this is a powerful 21^st century policing tool that provides us with the capacity to modernize and accelerate our investigations.”

Specifically, the ballistics identification equipment will allow for the RCIPS to collect and store 2D and 3D images of cartridge cases and bullets, perform automatic and manual correlations, analyse correlation results, and compare images to assist in the investigation of firearm-related crime.  This is a capacity that is an order of magnitude greater than the police service’s prior ability, bringing technical prowess in this area to the organization and staff.

“It is an honour for the RCIPS to lead this new network of ballistic data cooperation,” added CoP Byrne, “and we’re grateful for the FCO’s support, which has enabled the development of this new capacity and the modernization of crime-fighting across the territories.”

IMAGES:

SOCO Trainee Tiffany Rankine compares the surfaces of bullets while learning the Interpol Ballistics Information System

An FCO-funded ballistics trainer leads a training on detecting similarities and differences in bullets and casings using new forensic ballistic equipment provided by the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF)